| INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024) – Big Machine Distillery – home of Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers and Ascot Award-Winning Borchetta Bourbon – has extended its multiyear partnership with Indianapolis Motor Speedway. As an official partner of IMS, Big Machine, a valued IMS partner for more than a decade with its music & entertainment and spirits brands, continues its dedication and passion for motorsports. “Big Machine’s continued enthusiasm for IMS and motorsports is incredible,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “Scott Borchetta and his team have been engaged and dynamic partners in a variety of ways for more than 10 years. Their continued commitment to the Speedway helps provide our fans with the best experience possible.” Music mogul Scott Borchetta acquired and created Big Machine Distillery in 2015 with the desire to venture into the business of producing and marketing high-quality craft spirits. With his brother Mark Borchetta, they have disrupted the spirits industry with the development of a proprietary Platinum Filtration system for the Double Gold Award-winning Big Machine Platinum Filtered vodka brand, the only system of its kind in the world. Big Machine has produced many multi-award-winning products, including their popular Spiked Coolers and their highly acclaimed Borchetta Bourbon, which is beautifully packaged and honors a different legendary INDYCAR race car each year. The Distillery’s family of spirits also consists of a true craft Tennessee Whiskey – Clayton James, New American style gins, moonshines and single batch rums. “We are so proud to continue our relationship with Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” Big Machine Founder and Chairman Scott Borchetta said. “IMS is unlike any other sporting venue in the world, and the Indy 500 is always a memory-maker, which aligns with all Big Machine brands: making memories.” Tickets for marquee events in 2025 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – including the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, the Brickyard 400 presented by PPG and the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks – are on sale online at IMS.com and at the IMS Ticket Office. |
Category: Auto Racing
Shwartzman Returns to PREMA for IndyCar Debut
From PREMA:
PREMA Racing is thrilled to announce that Robert Shwartzman will be joining the team for the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Reuniting with the PREMA family after a successful stint in Endurance racing, the 25-year-old Israeli will return to single-seaters, completing the team’s Chevrolet-powered effort for the upcoming season.
Shwartzman joined PREMA for the first time in 2018, claiming third place in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship and ending up as the top rookie of that year, to which he added the Toyota Racing Series title. In 2019, he cruised to the inaugural FIA Formula 3 Championship title of the new era, kicking off PREMA’s dominant form in the series.
He stayed with the team for his jump to the FIA Formula 2 Championship, where he achieved six wins and 14 podium finishes in two seasons, becoming vice-champion in 2021. He made his Formula 1 testing debut in 2020 with Scuderia Ferrari, continuing to test with the Italian squad and Haas F1 Team the following year.
In 2022, he was appointed as a test driver by Scuderia Ferrari and made several Formula 1 testing and free practice appearances, while also performing simulator duties. In 2023, after joining the Italian manufacturer’s F1 reserve driver pool, he entered the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, securing one win. For 2024, he was confirmed as a reserve driver in Formula 1, and made his prototype racing debut, driving a Ferrari 499P in the FIA World Endurance Championship. After taking part in his maiden Le Mans 24 Hours, he delivered a memorable win at the Lone Star Le Mans in Austin.
Coming back to PREMA Racing, he will be joining forces with fellow alumni Callum Ilott for the team’s ground-breaking INDYCAR debut. While facing new challenges, including racing on ovals, his raw speed, experience, and insight into the team’s work ethic and method will make him a brilliant asset for the coming season and beyond.
Rene Rosin – Team Owner, PREMA Racing
“We are extremely delighted to welcome Robert back to the PREMA family. We have had some exceptional seasons together, winning a lot of races and the 2019 FIA F3 title, and we also thoroughly enjoyed working with him. He is an extremely talented driver and I think that, by working together, we will be able to overcome the steep learning curve that lies ahead of us. I cannot wait to see him and Callum compete under the PREMA banner again.”
Piers Phillips – CEO, PREMA Racing INDYCAR
“Having completed our line-up is a major step forward as our operation continues to prepare for its first INDYCAR season. Robert has a very impressive resume and has been competitive everywhere he went, from single-seaters to GT and prototypes. We think his skills and versatility will help him considerably, and will also help our team to learn faster and be more efficient. We look forward to getting the work started with Robert, Callum and Chevrolet as soon as possible.”
Robert Shwartzman
“I’m definitely very very excited to be back at PREMA to start a new adventure in INDYCAR. Everything will be new to us and there will be many challenges, but it will also be a lot of fun and a lot of work at the same time. I think a very successful future lies ahead for us. INDYCAR is a very competitive series, with so many strong drivers, and I’m looking forward to the racing, as it looks really cool. I have never driven on ovals and to master them, it will be a completely new challenge. However, with PREMA we achieved a lot in the past, and I think that my F1 and Endurance experience will be helpful to make us evolve fast and get up to speed quickly.”
Five Years Ago
November 4, 2019- I had just left the coffeehouse after breakfast with a group of my friends. My plan was to go to the gym, then run some errands. A text as I got to my car changed my schedule, and it changed much more.
“What do you think of Penske buying the Speedway?” my friend asked.
I had no idea what she was talking about. I read the article attached to the text.
I drove home, checked my email, and saw that a press conference was set at IMS for 10 am. I changed clothes- after all, you want to look nice for an ownership change like this- and drove to the track.
After five years of Penske ownership of IMS and the IndyCar series, what has improved? What still needs to change? I have a few thoughts.
IMS
The improvements Penske has made to Indianapolis Motor Speedway are sweeping and were sorely needed. The track and facilities have never looked better in my lifetime. Everyting is pristine, and the added touches such as the tables outside the main grandstands and the new grab n go market in the plaza have brought the track into the 21st century.
I love the additional high quality video boards and the new PA system.
Bringing an IMSA event to IMS is a high quality enhancement to the racing programs at IMS.
I am still not completely sold on the qualifying format for the Indianapolis 500, although I have warmed up to it a bit. I still think the pole should be decided on Saturday so that the winner can use Sunday for publicity while the rest of field is set. If there has to be a shootout, go back to nine cars. Twelve is overkill and cheapens that segment of qualifying.
The IndyCar Series
If it were not for Roger Penske, there might not be a series today. He purchased it at the right time, and he kept it going through COVID. I am not sure if COVID caused some of the delays in the hybrid debut, but it did not help the situation.
The competition has been at a high level, although I felt it dropped of a bit this past season.
The series itself seems to be mired in a time warp. A new chassis is badly needed. The hybrid boost needs to be turned up. The schedule has also gone stale, although the addition of Milwaukee and Nashville mad for a great ending to the year.
I do have hope for the future, however. The 2026 schedule looks like it may be a radical departure from what we have seen with the addition of a proposed race in Mexico and possibly Brazil. My only hope is that the schedule expands to 18 races and that no oval race is sacrificed.
IMS and the 500 are in good shape. The series has an opportunity in the next couple of years to get stronger, but there cannot be huge delays as there with the hybrid. A new car no later than 2027 would be helpful, but 2026 would probably be ideal for the new machine.
Simpson Confirmed at Ganassi; Browne, Koolen Fill CGR Indy NXT Seats
Chip Ganassi Racing today confirmed Kyffin Simpson as driver of the number 8 car for the 2025 IndyCar season. The move was long anticipated. Simpson, 19, from the Caymen Islands, drove car 4 for Ganassi in 2024, finishing 21st in the standings. Simpson finished 21st on the lead lap in the Indianapolis 500, leading three laps.
Ganassi Indy NXT
Neils Koolen and Jonathan Browne will drive for Ganassi’s new Indy NXT team. Both drivers have some Indy NXT experience, driving for HMD in 2024.
Koolen, 23 years old from the Netherlands,, finished 10th in the Indy NXT race at IMS last May. He also spent time in the European le Mans Series in 2024.
Browne, 24, ran the entire season for HMD, finishing 13th in the standings. The Irish driver earned eight Top 10 finishes.
Floersch Tests IndyNXT; IndyCar Grid Still in Limbo
HMD Motorsports announced last week that Formula 3 driver Sophia Floersch will drive in today’s Indy NXT test at Barber Motorsports Park.
Floersch, 23, has driven in Formula 3 and has also driven in the European Le Mans Series. In 2018 Floersch suffered a spine fracture in a horrific accident in Macau when her got airborne and landed outside the track after tearing through the catch fence. She underwent a 10 hour surgery and made a full recovery.
Floersch is exploring her options for 2025and has not signed with any series.
IndyCar Grid- Still 5 Seats Open
Filling the IndyCar grid for 2025 will come down to who has the cash. There are two open seats at Dale Coyne Racing, two at Juncos Hollinger Racing, and one opening at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
While no drivers have been formally announced for the second car at Meyer Shank Racing, the third Chip Ganassi Racing seat, or the second car at PREMA, it is presumed that they are all spoken for.
Available drivers include Rinus VeeKay, Linus Lindqvist, Conor Daly, Jack Harvey, Sting Ray Robb, Devlin DeFrancesco, Jamie Chadwick, and Katherine Legge.
Robb and de Francesco have money, and they could possibly help find a teammate.
Coyne might try to cobble together a rotating lineup as he did last season, but the charter rules limit each entry to three drivers a season.
I think VeeKay, Robb, and Lundqvist have the best chance at landing full time rides, while the others we may see in part time roles. It would be a shame not to see Jamie Chadwick make her IndyCar debut this season.
Pato on a Roll
The Pato O’Ward frenzy at the Grand Prix of Mexico this past weekend was quite a sight to behold, and it made the absence of an IndyCar race in Mexico even more of a glaring schedule omission. I am hopeful the race will happen in 2026, and there is now more room for optimism.
Several credible sources are reporting that O’Ward will run some demo laps in an IndyCar during the Formula E weekend at the circuit in January.
2025 IMS Event Tickets On Sale Now at IMS.com, Ticket Office
From IMS:
| INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024) – Tickets for marquee events in 2025 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – including the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, the Brickyard 400 presented by PPG and the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks – are on sale online at IMS.com and at the IMS Ticket Office. The IMS Ticket Office is located on the first floor of the IMS Administration Building at 4790 W. 16th St. in Indianapolis. Hours of operation are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. Tickets also can be purchased by calling 317-492-6700. “After an unforgettable 2024, it’s now time to start looking forward to the 2025 schedule at IMS and welcoming fans back to the Racing Capital of the World for another racing season,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “Other than renewal, buying now provides the best available seats at the lowest prices we offer and is a perfect time for our fans to make plans to be part of the many great racing events at IMS in 2025.” Tickets for the following 2025 events are on sale at IMS.com/tickets and the Ticket Office: Sonsio Grand Prix: Saturday, May 10 Miller Lite Carb Day: Friday, May 23 Legends Day presented by Firestone: Saturday, May 24 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge: Sunday, May 25 Indy 500 Coors Light Snake Pit: Sunday, May 25 Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational: Saturday, June 14-Sunday, June 15 NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 250: Saturday, July 26 NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 presented by PPG: Sunday, July 27 IMSA TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks: Friday, Sept. 19-Sunday, Sept. 21 Intercontinental GT Indianapolis 8 Hour: Friday, Oct. 17-Sunday, Oct. 19 Customers also can purchase admission to practice, qualifications and the Indianapolis 500 public drivers’ meeting, as well as parking, camping, hospitality and public credentials (Bronze Badge, Silver Badge, garage passes, pit passes) for these events at IMS.com. Fans also can purchase infield camping for the Sonsio Grand Prix, Brickyard Weekend and the IMSA TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks. All products are on sale at their lowest remaining prices, with increases coming in 2025. The $4 per-ticket service fee will be waived on items purchased before Jan. 6. Kids 15 and under will continue to be admitted free in general admission locations to all 2025 racing events at IMS when accompanied by an adult general admission ticketholder. Miller Lite Carb Day and Coors Light Snake Pit concert lineups will be announced soon. The Firestone Legends Day concert once again will be held at the Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park. Performers and ticket sale information will be announced later .Fans can apply to receive tickets for the 2025 Driven2SaveLives BC39. Dates for this event will be announced later. |
My IndyCar Rules Change Wish List
Photo by Kyle McInnes
There seems to be a bit of a break in the IndyCar news cycle. The boff time was nice, and I spent the last 11 days living in movie theaters enjoying the Heartland Film Festival. Now, back to work.
This is my annual plea for the series to amend some rules. some of these changes i have advocated before, and a couple are based on things that happened in 2024.
Keep the pits open during a yellow. Gathering up the field causes more yellow laps, and it has caused some running order confusion leading to even more yellow laps. Not closing the pits avoids penalties, and cars that absolutely need a splash of fuel can keep their track position. This procedure will also add some randomness back to the sport. The series is overmanaging the races (See last 10 laps of 2023 Indianapolis 500).
Throw the yellow when it needs to be thrown. If the pits are kept open, there is no need to delay a yellow, or allow a yellow to give an advantage to car that spun. Immediate yellows will avoid dangerous situations like we had in Toronto, where Pato O’Ward was a sitting duck. O’Ward got hit by three cars, and Santino Ferrucci got airborne.
Set oval qualifying order by practice speeds. The current practice is for cars to qualifying in inverse order of entrant points. This gives the series virtually the same qualifying order every oval race. By using inverse order of practice speeds, we will see a new order each race, and the fastest car will still be up front. Occasionally a leader will have a bad practice, and go early, but again, more randomness.
The Indianapolis 500 sets qualifying order by random draw; why can’t there be randomness at the other ovals as well? It is one step IndyCar could do to make oval qualifying a bit more interesting.
Stiffer penalties for restart violators. Leaders who do not follow the correct restart procedures should have some sort of penalty. Going to the rea or a drive through is too severe. Perhaps they should give up two spots. if they’re fast enough to lead, they should be able to get back out front. Also, race control needs to wave off restarts if the field is not set properly.
Vary the length of the two races at doubleheaders. The doubleheader may be heading toward extinction, but as long as they are on the schedule, I think the first race should be longer than the second. If one tenth of the distance is added to Race 1 and subtracted from race 2, the mileage would be the same. A longer first race and a shorter second race would also let the fans head home earlier on Sunday. Sometimes Sunday’s race seems exactly the same as Saturday’s- the same pit windows, same fuel saving strategy- which longer and shorter races could avoid.
Keep exploring the use of alternate tires on ovals. The alternate tires on ovals is intriguing. It seemed to work well at Nashville, and I think Firestone can continue to refine the differences between the two compounds. Anything that will spice up the ovals. I’m in favor of.
I’m sure the series officials will read this and take these ideas to heart as they always do. Anyway, it’s great to be back. There is some news to catch up on, and I will share that in the next day or so.
Movie Review: Driven2SaveLives
Justin Wilson and Bryan Clauson each saved five lives. The two drivers suffered fatal injuries in racing accidents about a year apart, and the donations of their organs helped others stay alive. Stefan Wilson began the movement in honor of his brother, and after Clauson’s death, Bryan’s family brought the movement to a higher level.
The documentary Driven2SaveLives tells the story of the organ donor movement in Indiana in a touching, personal way. The movie premiered this week at the Heartland international Film Festival last weekend to a sold out audience on Saturday.
The story mainly centers around Clauson’s family, who give organ donations a huge push. Clauson’s sister Taylor McLean now works for the Indiana Donor Network, and she is listed as one of the film’s producers.
The film tells the story of the Clauson’s, who found comfort when they learned Bryan had registered as an organ donor. It also shares the stories of two organ recipients, and of a father whose grief after the death of his son was somewhat soothed by the donation of his son’s organs.
The BC 39 midget race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was created to honor Bryan, and the donor network has a large presence there, signing up organ donors.
Danny Ernstes’s kidneys were failing. he needed a kidney transplant to avoid a lifetime of dialysis, which prevents a person from having a normal life. His doctor suggested he get a kidney from a living donor. Thus began a nearly two year wait to find a match.
Cade Frey’s life ended at 18, and his father Mike took solace in the fact that cade had registered as an organ donor when he received his drivers; license. Mike continues to work tirelessly to help people sign donation pledges.
Jess Schnur received a lifesaving liver transplant, and the film shows a touching meeting with her donor’s mother. Jess now volunteers for the Indiana Donor Network at events.
The racing footage is brief, as it should be. This film is not about the racing. There are some scenes that are difficult to watch. The most emotional one for me was when he Clausons met the man who received Bryan’s heart. Bryan’s mother listened to his heart beating through a stethoscope.
The film festival runs through this Sunday. While there are no more theater showings, the movie can be streamed virtually by visiting Heartland FilmFestival.org. It must be ordered begun to be viewed and by this Sunday. Once started, you have three days to complete watchiung.
Hailie Deegan Debuts in Chris Griffis Test
Hailie Deegan recently signed with HMD Motorsports to drive in the Indy NXT by Firestone series in 2025. She will test car number 38 tomorrow in the Chris Griffis Memorial Test at IMS. Deegan will join seven other rookies in the 22 car field.
Deegan, 23, has focused on the NASCAR Truck Series, and has also raced in Xfiniti and ARCA. She began her racing career in the Lucas Off Road Racing Series and the NASCAR K&N stock car series.
Tomorrow’s schedule:
9 am ET- 4 pm Testing.
The turn 2 spectator mounds are open for viewing.
Entry list:
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 